We have plans to build a custom wheelchair accessible ranch style home to meet Hunter and Cody's needs now and in the future. Hunter (age 18) and Cody (age 15) are happy, energetic, technology loving boys! They were both born with the recessive gene disorder Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) - Type 2. The boys' SMA affects the strength of their voluntary muscles. SMA is a progressive disease and curre
ntly there is no cure. The boys are unable to roll over, crawl, and they have never been able to stand on their own. They have both been using power wheelchairs since they were 2 years old. Hunter and Cody both have weak swallows and use g-tubes in their tummies to eat. They both developed scoliosis and have growing rods in their backs. Through networking with doctors who specialize in SMA, and parents who have navigated this disease and shared their wealth of knowledge with us, we have been able to keep the boys as strong as possible and growing! With growth comes added challenges for us as parents though. In 2014 and 2016 Hunter and Cody got new, larger wheelchairs, and those bigger chairs are making our house seem smaller! In March 2018 we bought an almost 1 acre lot here in Independence and we hope to build a custom home suited perfectly for the boys now, and into their long term futures. The new house won’t be fancy (no granite, no marble, no fireplace, no wall to wall tile) but it will have lots of empty square footage space for the boys to move around in. We need more floor space in their bathroom, and more floor space in their bedroom. We also need more floor space in the living room and kitchen so that 1 chair doesn’t have to move so the other chair can get through. The plans for the new house are just over 3,000 sq ft. Because it’s a bigger size house, the cost is higher. At this point, we wouldn’t be able to afford the payments. So we’re saving our own money, and fundraising to help us get there faster. You can keep tabs on our overall progress, and stay updated on our weekly fundraising events by following this page! There are many ways to help the cause! We are currently accepting donations of empty pop and beer cans. We’re trying to collect 20,000 lbs! This fall we’ll be selling 8 flavors of popcorn at various events around the Kansas City area. Check out our events section to find the dates and locations. We also have a Go Fund Me account if you’d like to monetarily donate. https://www.gofundme.com/wheelchair-home-for-hunter-and-cody We truly appreciate everyone's support. We couldn't do it without you!
-Stacie and Mike
